My ocean comfort is from 40 years of bodyboarding, surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling and anything else I could do to get wet in all my years of life. I LOVE THE WATER especially the ocean. I've ridden some huge, double to triple overhead waves while body boarding, that doesn't mean I'd be good at surfing it at this point though. I am just generally not afraid of the ocean or big waves, doesn't mean I have the skills to surf them yet.

Starting a few days early cause I know I'll get rained out at least a few days of training in September.

Day 1: Back in the bowl, just trying to remember how to do this. 30 mins cruising around the bowl, back to working on figure 8s since that's where I left off.

After talking to Graham yesterday about how the extension up the transition is just in the toes of the back foot I wanted to double check myself and to me thats what it feels like. Just jumping off my back big toe up the transition.

Have not skated almost all summer cause it's just too hot in the South and too many scooter kids when they don't have school, since this skate park is literally in the parking lot between 2 grade schools and a community center.

Feels good to have goals and be working towards them again.

Unfortunately a photo a day probably won't happen. I'll be sneaking my surfs in between dropping the kids off at school and making it to work myself.

I am planning on keeping a calender of what I've done daily that I can fill out when I get to work. But with the limited time there won't be much time to set up a tripod or camera, plus I'm leary of leaving it on the beach while I'm in the water.

I'm tired of being bad though so I'm gonna get serious about my improvement.

Graham Marsden walk up a flight of stairs with just your toes and ball of your foot on the tread of the stair, mid foot and heel hanging off. Start from a stand still, put feet next to each other on one stair. Then take that first step so your lead(front foot) goes up to the stair above the one you started from. Hold on to the railing as well so you can pay attention to the small amount your back foot toes push you up slightly, so that your lead foot can clear the stair height and then accept the weight of your body and do the heavy lifting up to that stair.

That tiny toe movement is all the extension up a transition is. It's just the slightest lift and forward shifting of weight. This is assuming that you are riding the bowling frontside (chest facing the transition) as it is ever so slightly different in the other direction, but once you get one the other side is easier.

I tried soooo hard, throwing my arms, pushing my hips forward, bending my knees more like I was squat jumping onto a plyo box, but came to realize it's just a toe lift...that's all you need. That and timing it with the transition up.

Then to go higher the next time it's the same small toe lift just slightly faster and with a little more upward press of the toe.

Coryn Daniel just gotta compress and extend a little more brotato. Your knees never change position on that turn.

When I was learning, which I very much still am, I remember only getting that kind of height and thinking okay let's figure it out and I paid very close attention to what felt like it worked.

The extension to me feels like doing a Calf raise if you were standing on top of a curb or plyo box or stacked weight plates. Also, Clayton mentions its a lot in his videos, that back foot is just the initial push up then the front leg does the heavy lifting.. To me it feels like trying to jump up the transition by jumping off the toes of your rear foot. It's literally just a gentle push (extension) off the big toe of the back foot and extending up with the knees and body at the same time.

It's such a small toe lift that once you feel it you'll laugh at how little effort it takes.

It's just a gentle toe raise.

Graham Marsden those are still slow compared to dragons... not sure why it works that way. Also bones red or ceramic Swiss bearings will make a huge difference

You do need more speed. Bad news is you are fighting a losing battle if you are still using carver roundhouse wheels or other similar.

Order yourself a set of these:

https://www.skateone.com/powell-peralta-dragon-formula-skateboard-wheels-64mm-x-36mm-93a-4pk

The speed difference is amazing. The Carver wheels are designed for grip and traction for the wiggle or carving a street. They are NOT designed for smooth park surfaces. Even the Carver park wheels are slow compared to these. When you have the right wheels the speed will come much easier. I struggled with the same issue till I learned better.

Outer Banks might be firing next weekend! Anyone up for a Surf trip to Jennettes Pier to score? Trying to convince the wife now to make the 5 hour drive to spend the weekend.